[AccessD] Expressions

Rocky Smolin rockysmolin at bchacc.com
Tue Mar 30 08:35:03 CDT 2010


There are really three components to this - the be with the data and the
browser-based fe for the user are done.  The third piece is the link between
the two.

Like a dating service, users enter their criteria for a physician and
receive referrals to docs the be database. At the moment that link from
input to output is manual, although, IIUC, the methods and procedures are
well defined.  The current level of activity is just at the threshold of
overwhelming the ability of the staff to keep up.  So they need to automate
that link.  

As the be is in access, it probably seems logical to them to add a module to
the be that would create a table of referrals which could then be driven
back to the user through a web-based program.  The third party who is
helping to coordinate this whole thing told me that they are now thinking of
using the Expressions Engine to do that link.

If they go that way I will probably not do the job.  So I was trying to find
out how appropriate that alternative would be and what the strengths and
weaknesses are of the EE.

Rocky


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of William Hindman
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 2:09 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Expressions

Rocky

"Expression Engine" is a decent web content management system, "MS
Expression" is a Microsoft web development suite of tools targeted at the
web site "designer" market ...neither is anything like an Access desktop fe
nor serves the same purpose ...if the desire is to have a browser based
fe/web app for an Access be, then the best tool for your existing skill set
would probably be Visual Studio 2010 ...the VS 2010 Express, Web Developer
version is free and can probably do what you need, certainly in the learning
stage ...but the Pro version allows you to compile your code into a dll
which meets your criteria for code security.

...assuming that the client is looking for a browser based solution on a web
site, and anticipates high traffic, an mdb be can be problematic ...an
Access be on the web can handle several hundred users a day quite well
...but anything more and your client will need to move to a SQL Server be.

...either way, if you're looking at anything more than a desktop fe for
their current mdb be, the learning curve can be quite steep ...VB.net is NOT
vba ...it's a fe programming language for the .net framework, object
oriented, and the web resources are quite a bit more limited than for vba or
C#.net.

...however, Shamil and a group of AccessD developers recently did a
conversion of the Northwind.mdb to .net and the entire project, both results
and the interim steps to get there are hosted on codeplex and available for
download ...it's a great learning tool that would have helped me immensely
in my first foray into .net apps ...if you decide to take the client on,
that would be the first place I'd look to especially since help is
immediately available from those you already know and respect.

William

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Rocky Smolin" <rockysmolin at bchacc.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 1:21 AM
To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'" 
<accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Expressions

> The BE is already Access.  The programming to be done is the process 
> of connecting the patients with doctors - kind of like a medical eHarmony.
> Currently the referrals are being done manually.  So they know how to 
> do it.
> But they're ramping up so the manual approach is getting quickly 
> overwhelmed.
>
> R
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim 
> Lawrence
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 8:11 PM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Expressions
>
> Hi Rocky:
>
> Isn't Expression a web designer type tool... it specialized in blog 
> building similar to WordPress. It also has a number programming 
> features built within it so it can be made fairly functional. OTH it 
> is supposed to be a cruddy web designer not at all like my favourite 
> Dreamweaver.
>
> I think MS Access is probably a better database management tool but it 
> is not designed for web deployment. So I guess it depends on whether 
> the application is to be desktop or web based.
>
> For you, the ultimate would be to quickly hack together an Access BE 
> with all the business logic built in and quickly put together a custom 
> built web site FE and I would recommend Dreamweaver for ease of use... 
> but that would just be my personal opinion.
>
> The optimum would be to build the whole in something like ASP.Net or 
> many of the excellent frameworks that are out there.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Rocky 
> Smolin
> Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 5:10 PM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: [AccessD] Expressions
>
> A potential client is trying to decide whether to create a very 
> proprietary algorithm (for matching up patients with doctors - kind of 
> a medical dating service if you will) in Access or Expression Engine.  
> I don't know about Expression.  Good alternative?  Can you protect 
> your code with Expression?
>
>
>
> MTIA
>
>
>
> Rocky
>
>
>
>
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